A Real Patriot

George Evans Sets a New Standard for Mason Students
and Athletics

When Commencement begins at 10 a.m. on May 12, one graduate walking down the
aisle will be hard to miss--six foot,
seven-inch basketball player George Evans. The
30-year-old army veteran has accomplished just as much
in his life off the court as he has on it, and that's a lot.

Evans recently led the Patriots to a berth in
the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) tournament for the second time in three years
and was named the Colonial Athletic Association
Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, a
feat accomplished only once previously, by current
NBA superstar David Robinson. In addition,
www.CollegeInsider.com named Evans a Mid-Major All-American and
selected him for the Mid-Major All-Tournament
Team. Evans also was named a finalist for the Chip
Hilton Award. As only the fourth player in NCAA history
to record 200 steals, blocks, and assists in a
career, Evans garnered extensive media exposure from
the likes of ESPN, NBC's NBA Inside Stuff, The
George Michael Sports Machine, The Sporting News,
and USA Today.

His accomplishments on the basketball court are reason enough for praise, but Evans's
military background adds to his story. The oldest of
three children, Evans went into the army after high
school to help support his mother and brothers. During
his eight-year stint, he did a little bit of
everything, including military intelligence and
telecommunications, and was stationed in Kuwait during
the Persian Gulf War.

When Evans came to George Mason in 1997, he was just hoping to make a small contribution to
the basketball team in anyway he could. Over the
next four years, however, he developed into one of
the most dominant players in the university's history.
He ranks first of all time at George Mason in
steals (218) and blocked shots (211), third in
points (1,953) and rebounds (953), and 13th in
assists (226).

"I definitely thought I was going to be a
role player," says Evans. "I never in my life thought
I would have the success I've had up to this
point. Even more important than all the awards, though,
is earning my teammates' respect. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't
have earned all of these honors."

"George has had a tremendous impact not only on
our basketball program, but on the university," says
Coach Jim Larranaga. "He is a wonderful role
model for other students and student athletes, and I think he gives
our alumni a great sense of pride in what this university stands for--excellence,
academically and athletically."

With his college career now over, Evans is looking to the future. He was the top overall
selection in the 16th annual U.S. Basketball League
draft, being picked by the Maryland Mustangs. Evans
is still eligible for the National Basketball
Association (NBA) draft in June, and although many
scouts believe he has the talent to succeed at that level,
his age may play a factor in whether he is drafted.
He was invited to participate in April in the
Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which gives players
the chance to show their talents to NBA scouts.
Evans may even consider playing professional ball
in Europe.

If he does not play basketball, Evans says he wants to work in a sports-related field. "My major
is in video production, so I want to work behind
the scenes with athletes and get a different angle,"
he says. "I'm looking forward to what lies ahead,
and I'm appreciative of the fact that I have a degree
from George Mason University."